Method of and mechanism for feeding folded sheets to sheet opening devices in a sheet-handling machine



March 6, 1934- o. KLEINSCHMIT ET AL 9 METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FORFEEDING FOLDED SHEETS To SHEET OPENING DEVICES IN A SHEET HANDLINGMACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l nJ6ZmJ f oZ-wi Zaiaj/KZemyn/ pica? /1 bywa March 1934- o. KLEINSCHMIT El AL 1,949,339

METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FOLDED SHEETS TO SHEET OPENINGDEVICES IN A SHEET HANDLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2J MMW Patented Mar. 6, 1934 7 UNITED STATES METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FORFEED- ING FOLDED SHEETS TO SHEET OPENING DEVICES IN A SHEET-HANDLING MA-CHINE Oscar Kleinschmit and Plagwitz, Germany,

Rudolf Klemm, Leipzigassigncrs to Gebruder Brehmer, Leipzig-Plagwitz,Germany, a limited partnership of Germany Application January 21, 1932,Serial No. 588,002 In Germany February 9, 1931 17 Claims.

This invention relates to sheet-handling machines (e. g. book-binding orstitching machines) in which inversely rotating suction members areutilized to open single or multiple folded sheets.

When such sheet opening devices are employed, the folded sheet to beopened is fed to the rolls or similar suction members with the openedges, which are parallel to the fold thereof, foremost. These edges arethen caused to enter between the suction members so that the said openedges are parallel to the axes of rotation of the suction members andare thereupon seized and opened simultaneously along the whole length ofthe open edges. In practice it has been found that by thussimultaneously parting these edges of the sheet, certain disadvantagesare experienced, more particularly when the folded sheets are formedfrom thin material.

According to the method of this invention to obviate these disadvantagesa folded sheet or book section is fed to sheet opening members so thatthe leaves of the said sheet are initially parted from one comerthereof.

In order to carry this invention into effect, a sheet conveyor, such asthe usual conveyor tapes, may be provided to convey the folded sheet tothe inversely rotating suction members. A series of pivotally mountedfingers or sheet stops may be arranged to project into the path oftravel of the folded sheet as the latter is conveyed by the conveyortapes, and the stops so arranged are positioned in a line at an angle tothe direction of travel of the folded sheet. The pivoted stops may bemoved about their axes by suitably timed mechanism co-operating with thedrive of the machine so that the stops are caused to engage and thenrelease the sheet to allow the latter at the requisite moment to enterbetween the sheet opening members. When retarded in its travel, by theinterposed stops the sheet, by reason of the still moving conveyortapes, is swung out of its straight path of travel so that the frontopen edges thereof abut the oblique line of stops. A series of rubberfaced or similar rollers are suspended by pivotal arms above theconveyor tapes and associated with the sheet stops so that when thelatter are removed from the path of the sheet, the rollers are caused tom engage the surface of the said sheet and so hold with one open comerforemost between the inversely rotating members. In this manner, thesheet is opened, as is desirable, from one open corner with the line ofparting extending across the folded sheet at an angle to the open frontedge thereof.

One specific constructional form of this invention will now be describedin reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a sheet handlingmachine provided with the sheet opening device according to thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view showing the sheet conveyor tapes andobliquely set sheet-stops.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevational view showing the position of thesheet according to this invention when about to enter between theinversely rotating suction rolls, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a folded sheet showing the manner ofopening according to this invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the machine frame 10 supports a stack container 11which receives a stack of folded sheets or book sections A. The frontclosure of the stack container 11 may comprise a slidable rake member 12which is slotted as at 13 and in association with pivotal sucker members14 and retaining fingers 15 serves to separate individually theconstituents of the stack.

A pair of inversely rotating suction rolls 16, 17 (Figs. 1 and 3) aremounted on driven shafts l8, l9 journalled in the machine frame 10. Thesuction rolls, arranged horizontally, are adapted to receive and openone by one the folded sheets as the latter are separated from the stackand the means for conveying the separated sheets to the suction rollsare as follows:

Conveyor pulleys or rollers 16', 17' of diameter equal to that of thesuction rolls are mounted on the shafts 18, 19 respectively. Similarconveyor pulleys 20 of smaller diameter and equivalent in number to thepulleys 16, 17 are mounted on a shaft 'journalled beneath the stackcontainer 11 in the machine frame 10. Endless conveyor tapes 21 arepassed around the pulleys 17' and 20 and also a series of guidingpulleys 22, 23 mounted on shafts journalled in the machine frame 10,while tensioning pulleys 24 pivotally supported in the machine frame areadapted to engage and tension the conveyor tapes 21. The latter thusextend from the suction roll 17 to beneath the stack container 11 sothat the sheets separated from the stack are deposited thereon.

A second series of endless conveyor tapes 25 are passed around thepulleys 16 and three series of similar pulleys 26, 2'7 and 28 which aremounted on shafts journalled in the machine frame, the pulleys 28 beingpositioned so that the portions of the conveyor tapes 25 which extendbetween the pulleys 16' and 28 are each closely adjacent thecorresponding conveyor tape 21 in order that the sheets passing betweenthe tapes at this point are gripped thereby and fed in a set position tothe suction rolls 16, 17.

Intermediate the upper run or sheet receiving portion of the conveyortapes 21 a series of rotatable idler rollers 29 are arranged to engagefrom below the tapes 21. A series of preferably rubber faced drop feedrollers 30 are rotatably mounted in arms 31 all of which are fixedlymounted on a common rock shaft 32 mounted in the frame of the machine.The arms 31 are shaped so that when lowered the rollers 30 contact withthe tapes 21 and register with the corresponding rollers 29 thusproviding means for gripping and positively feeding forward the sheetpositioned therebetween. A two-armed rocking lever 33 is fixedly mountedon the rock shaft 32 and one arm thereof, through a pivoted bellcranklever 34 and connecting rods 35, 36, is linked to a fulcrumed two-armlever 37 which carries a cam follower adapted to engage a timing cammounted on the driving shaft 38 of the machine.

A series of sheet stops 39, associated with the rollers 29, 30, aresecured to curved arms 49 which are fixedly mounted upon a rock shaft 41the latter being journalled in suitable brackets mountedonthemachineframe 10. An arm 42 rigidly mounted on the rock shaft 41 is linked by aconnecting rod 43 to the second arm of the rockmg lever 33. The stops 39are set in a line obliquely to the axis of rotation of the suction rolls16, 17, that is to say obliquely to the longitudinal direction of theconveyor tapes and the arrangement of the above described actuatinglinkage is such that when the drop feed rolls 30 are lifted from thetapes 21 the stops 39 are caused to project between the tapes 21 intothe path of the travelling sheet.

The suction rolls 16, 17 and conveyor tapes 21, 25 are constantly drivenfrom the drive shaft 38 through the interposed gear train B.

The operation of the sheet feeding and opening device is as follows:

The folded sheet S, when separated from the stack A by the means abovementioned, is deposited upon the constantly driven conveyor tapes 21with the open edges which are parallel to the fold thereof, foremost.The constantly driven conveyor tapes 21 then convey the sheet S forwardand towards the sheet-stops 39 which are timed to project, at thisjuncture of the operation, into the path of travel of the sheet S. Indue course the forward open edges of the sheet abut the stops 39 and inconsequence of the obliquity of the latter the sheet is swung about onthe tapes 21 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The continued movement of the drive shaft 38 and cam actuated linkageabove described then withdraws the sheet-stops from the path of the nowobliquely positioned sheet and simultaneously the drop feed rollers 30descend and engage between them and the tapes 21 and rollers 29 thesheet S. The latter is thus held in its obliquely set position andcarried forward to the superposed gripper conveyor tapes 25 whereuponthe sheet is gripped between the tapes 21 and 25 and so presented to thesuction rolls 16, 17 in the position shown in Fig. 3. Consequently thecorner r of the sheet is gripped first between the suction rolls and thesheet is opened obliquely to its folded edge on a line approximately asindicated by the chain-dottedline I-I (Fig. 3) and shown in Fig. 4. Thesheet so passes through the suction rolls and is deposited in its openedcondition upon a suitable conveying saddle not shown.

As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, it is highlyadvantageous to open mechanically a folded sheet in this manner since itobviates the wrinkling and crumpling of the leaves which often occurswhen squarely parting the leaves of a folded sheet owing to the naturalmutual adhesion thereof.

Many forms of mechanism may be devised for carrying the invention intoeffect and such mechanism could be operated from above, below orlaterally of the machine according to the position of the sheetconveyor. The invention is not confined to the specific constructionabove described and may be incorporated in any sheethandling machine inwhich rotatable sheet opening members are used.

While the use of stops for ensuring the obliquity of the folded sheetrelative to the opening members has been described, it will be clearthat such obliquity may be obtained by suitable location of themechanism. Thus, the opening members, conveyor, or sheet stack may beplaced at a suitable angle relatively to the other parts of themechanism or alternatively an oblique side guide provided for the sheetand a cross moving conveyor belt or belts arranged to engage the sheetand so swing it from the longitudinally parallel path of travel asdesired.

We claim:

1. Mechanism for opening folded sheets, comprising inversely rotatingsheet opening members, sheet conveying tapes and means assooiated withsaid tapes for presenting to said rotating sheet opening members afolded sheet with its edges oblique to the axis of rotation of saidsheet opening members.

2. Mechanism for opening folded sheets, comprising folded-sheet openingmembers, sheet conveyor tapes associated with said members, means forpositioning a folded sheet upon the tapes so that its edges are obliqueto the longitudinal stretch of said tapes, and means for retaining thesheet in its oblique position during the travel of the conveyor tapestowards the sheet opening members.

3. Mechanism for opening folded sheets, comprising a folded-sheetopening device, sheet conveyor tapes associated with said device, andsheet stops adapted to extend in an oblique line across the path ofmovement of a folded-sheet carried by said tapes.

4. Mechanism for opening folded sheets, comprising folded-sheet openingmembers, sheet conveyor tapes associated with said members, sheet stopsadapted to extend in an oblique line across the tapes to engage anddeflect a folded sheet carried by the said tapes, and means forretaining the said sheet in the deflected position during its furtherconveyance to the sheet opening members.

5. Mechanism for opening folded sheets, comprising in combination,folded-sheet opening members, sheet conveyor tapes leading to saidfolded-sheet opening members, a series of sheetregistering stops movablymounted and adapted to project between the said tapes and extend in anoblique line transversely thereof, a pivotally mounted drop frictionroll interacting with said sheet stops, sheet clamping tapes associatedwith said conveyor tapes and means for synchronizing the mechanicalactuation of said sheet opening mechanism.

6. Mechanism for opening folded sheets, comprising in combination,inversely rotating sheet opening members, a series of sheet; conveyortapes adapted to move at right angles to the axis of rotation of saidsheet opening members, a series of sheet stops pivotally mounted beneathsaid tapes and adapted to project at timed intervals between and abovesaid tapes, at least one drop friction-roll pivotally mounted above saidconveyor tapes and adapted to engage a sheet carried by said tapes, 9.lower friction roll beneath said tapes associated with each upperfriction roll, a second series of conveyor tapes superimposed upon theupper stretches of the first mentioned tapes and adapted to enage andhold in position a sheet subsequent to the registration of the latterwith the said sheet stops, and means for synchronizing the mechanicalactuation of the said sheet opening mechamsm.

7. A sheet handling machine, including in combination, a machine drive,a stack container for folded sheets, inversely rotating sheetopeningrolls, sheet conveyor tapes extending from said stack container to saidsheet opening rolls, means for feeding a folded sheet from said stackcontainer to said conveyor belts, sheetstops pivotally mounted beneathsaid conveyor belts and extending transverse thereto in an oblique line,means for periodically projecting said stops into the path of the sheetcarried by said conveyor tapes, sheet gripping rolls associated withsaid conveying belts, a second series of conveyor belts associated withsaid sheetopening rolls and superimposed upon the upper stretches of thefirst sheet conveyor belts, and means for actuating from the machinedrive the said sheet handling mechanism.

8. A method of opening a folded sheet or booksection, which comprisesfeeding the folded sheet to rotary sheet-opening means in such mannerthat the foremost edges of the sheet opposite its fold are seized bysaid sheet-opening means while lying at an angle to the axis of rotationof said sheet-opening means, the sheet edges thus being initially partedfrom one corner of said folded sheet.

9. A method of opening a folded sheet or booksection, which comprisesfeeding the folded sheet to inversely rotating sheet-opening members sothat the foremost open edges of said sheet opposite its fold passbetween said members at an angle to the axis of rotation of the latter,the sheet edges thus being initially parted from one corner of saidfolded sheet.

10. Means for opening folded sheets or booksections, comprising asheet-opening device, means for conveying a folded sheet to saidsheetopening device, and means associated with said conveying means forpositioning said folded sheet with its edges oblique to the direction ofits movement so that one corner of its open edges is initially engagedby said opening device.

11. Means for opening folded sheets or booksections, comprising a rotarysheet-opening device, means for conveying the folded sheet to saidsheet-opening device, and means associated with said sheet conveyingmeans for presenting to said rotary sheet-opening device a folded sheetwith its edges oblique to the axis of rotation of said sheet openingdevice.

12. Means for opening folded sheets or booksections, comprising at leastone pair of inversely rotating sheet-opening members, means forconveying a folded sheet to said sheet-opening members, and. means fordirecting said sheet so that initially one corner of itis engaged bysaid sheetopening members.

13. A method of opening a folded sheet or booksection comprising movingthe folded sheet toward sheet-opening means with the edges opposite thefold forward and adjusting the position of the folded sheet while movingtoward the sheet-opening means so that a corner of the folded sheet isfirst presented to the sheet-opening means.

14. Means for opening folded sheets or book sections, comprising asheet-opening device, sheet conveyor tapes adapted to convey the closedsheet towards said sheet-opening device, and means associated with saidconveyor tapes for positioning said closed sheet with its edges obliqueto the direction of movement of said conveyor tapes so that one cornerof its open edges is initially engaged by said opening device.

15. Means for opening folded sheets or book sections, comprisingsheet-opening means, sheetconveying means adapted to feed a closed sheetto said sheet-opening means, with the edges opposite the fold forward,and means for adjusting the position of the folded sheet during itsconveyance by said sheet-conveying means so that a corner of the openedges of said sheet is first presented to said sheet-opening means.

16. Means for opening folded sheets or book sections, comprisingsheet-opening means, sheet conveyor tapes adapted to receive a closedsheet and feed the latter to said sheet opening means, with the edgesopposite the fold forward, and means for adjusting the position of thefolded sheet during its conveyance so that its forward open edge liesoblique to the longitudinal stretch of the tapes and one corner of theclosed sheet is initially engaged by said sheet-opening means.

17. Means for opening folded sheets or book sections, comprising atleast two inversely rotating sheet-opening members, means for conveyinga folded sheet to said members with the edges opposite the fold forward,and means for adjusting the position of the folded sheet as it movestowards said sheet-opening members so that its forward open edges lieoblique to the axes of said sheet-opening members to enable the latterto engage initially one corner of said folded sheet.

OSCAR KLEINSCHMIT. RUDOLF KLEMM.

